President Cyril Ramaphosa lobbied for Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to become the co-convener of the soon-to-be-appointed Gauteng provincial task team (PTT), citing, among other reasons, his popularity.
Sunday World has been told that it was Ramaphosa who argued strikingly for Lesufi’s retention during the national officials’ meeting in Cape Town this week that discussed the national executive committee’s (NEC) decision to reconfigure the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committees (PECs).
Following the party’s poor performance in the 2024 general elections, the party announced the decision to reconfigure the two structures in January. While Lesufi was retained as co-convenor alongside veteran Amos Masondo for the Gauteng PTT, ex-provincial secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza was kicked to the curb.
In Nciza’s place, Hope Papo was given the nod to become the provincial coordinator of the PTT.
Our insiders whispered that Ramaphosa said Lesufi could not be removed entirely from his position of influence given his role in the Gauteng provincial government as premier.
He apparently also used Lesufi’s popularity and charisma as a factor that could not be ignored, as it has positive spin-offs of the embattled former liberation movement.
“Panyaza was saved by the president. The president argued strongly that he must be spared because he runs the Gauteng government and is doing well in that aspect, which showed political considerations, and no one differed with that view,” said the informant.
This was apparently the same reasoning that was used by extension to save Siboniso Duma, who returned as deputy convenor to Jeff Radebe in the KZN PTT. Just like Nciza, ex-KZN provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo was demoted to an ordinary member of the province’s PTT.
In Gauteng, the headache of finding something for Nciza has started in earnest, with some lobbying that he be accommodated in the provincial government as MEC for arts and culture. However, some have argued this will be a mountain to climb since the decision of the NEC to reconfigure the two PECs was premised on the condition that it should not interfere with the governments of the two provinces.
The national officials of OR Tambo’s party met on Thursday to consolidate names to make up the rest of the two PTTs. Both sides, the proponents of the disbandment and those who opposed it, are claiming victory.
Those who opposed disbandment argue that their side did not win because all of them will be accommodated in the PTTs. However, advocates of the disbandment say “singaphezulu” (we won) because they managed to push for the removal of both provincial secretaries, who happen to be the key positions in the day-to-day running of the organisation in provinces.
Some claim that the exercise was never about who wins and who loses but about arresting “the free fall” in ANC support in the two provinces with the party losing massive support in the May 29, 2024 elections.
“This is why we resolved on senior and sober comrades like Amos Masondo, Jeff Radebe, Mike Mabuyakhulu and Hope Papo for the responsibility of steering the ship forward,” said an NWC leader.
“These are genuine ANC cadres who cannot be influenced by factions and have been in the game long enough to resist undue influence.”
Some in the disbanded PEC have vowed to bounce back when the two provinces convene their next conferences. They claim they cannot be wished away since they “control the ground”, and their gene-ration is in charge of branches and regions.
“We will be back again by November when the provincial conference is convened. The ANC constitution provides that after a disbandment, a new leadership must be elected within nine months, which takes us to November,” said a disgruntled ex-Gauteng PEC leader. “We were elected by ANC branches, and no shortcut will succeed to circumvent the will of the branches. We will show them at the provincial conference.”
A comrade of his, who is pleased by the current developments of the shake-up of the two PECs, said such sentiments were equal to daydreaming.
“These comrades are clownish. How do they believe they will come back while antagonising the secretary-general? We told them even about this disbandment, and they said it will not happen,” said the leader.
“Honestly, these are the last kicks of a dying horse; they do not have the ground they claim to have; no one supports them”
